purr

American  

[pur] / pɜr /

Archaic, pur

verb (used without object)

purrs, present (3rd person singular) purred, past participle, past purring present participle

1. to utter a low, continuous, murmuring sound expressive of contentment or pleasure, as a cat does.

2. (of things) to make a sound suggestive of the purring of a cat.

   The new motor of the car purred.

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verb (used with object)

purrs, present (3rd person singular) purred, past participle, past purring present participle

1. to express by or as if by purring.

noun

purrs plural

1. the low, vibrating sound made by a cat by the contracting of the laryngeal muscles and the diaphragm as it breathes.

2. a sound resembling this.

3. the act of purring.

purr British  

/ pɜː /

verb

1. (intr) (esp of cats) to make a low vibrant sound, usually considered as expressing pleasure, etc

2. (tr) to express (pleasure, etc) by this sound

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noun

1. a purring sound

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• purringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• purrs
  plural

Participles

• purring
  present
• purred
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• purr
  simple
• purrs
  simple
• have purred
  perfect
• has purred
  perfect
• am purring
  progressive
• are purring
  progressive
• is purring
  progressive
• have been purring
  perfect progressive
• has been purring
  perfect progressive

Past

• purred
  simple
• had purred
  perfect
• was purring
  progressive
• were purring
  progressive
• had been purring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will purr
  simple
• will have purred
  perfect
• will be purring
  progressive
• will have been purring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of purr

First recorded in 1595–1605; imitative

Explanation

The happy sound a relaxed cat makes is a purr. A purr is low and fluttery, and you can feel it vibrating in the cat's body. Your pet cat purrs, and so do some of her larger relatives, like the puma and the bobcat, as well as the cat-like animal called a genet, raccoons, badgers, tapirs, and even guinea pigs. Scientists aren't entirely sure how a cat purrs, but they do know that felines can either purr or roar, but not both (lions, for example, don't purr). They also suspect that a purr evolved as communication between mother cats and nursing kittens.

Example Sentences

They handled Australia next as the engine began to purr.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

"Every cat in our study had its own characteristic purr," says co-author Anja Schild.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

That voice is all purr and growl, like a lion clawing its way through velvet.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2025

Victoria Monét, “Jaguar II” Impeccably appointed throwback R&B brought cleverly up to date by Monét, a prolific songwriter-for-hire now showing off a throaty purr of her own.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2023

P. T. let out a growl which sounded more like a purr.

From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson